There are just times in life when you know something is no longer working. This could look like a behavior, coping mechanism, career, or relationship.

Change is meant to bring about motivation and renewed sense of self. I know God uses restlessness in me as motivation to get unstuck in life. Comfortable is safe and predictable, but that does not equal life giving.

He is always writing a continuous story in us and carrying it on to completion. He redeems all things and makes all things new. There is nothing too lost or too broken for Him. He never settles and never gives up.

I am praying you don’t either. Never settle, never give up. You are worth it. You matter and are more valuable then comprehension.

As a kid, I thought I was indestructible. There was no place I wouldn’t explore, and no height too high to jump from.

I didn’t ask questions or think twice about my landings. I was daring and courageous. Don’t even get me started on when I first got my license. God worked over time with me.

As kids, we more readily trusted. We trusted our own abilities as well as others. We were fearless. We risked. We took risks with activities, academics, and relationships.

As adults, trust seems to get harder to do. We begin to institute the “think twice” rule in adulthood. Fears and wounds are introduced over time, and the force field of our hearts seems to grow stronger.

The process of trust is a long journey. It usually requires much reassurance along the way.

Learning to trust is a messy process.

The deception about trust is that it is solely based on the other person. Trusting someone else is no small thing. However, we become unsure of people over time, especially if we have experienced pain and hardship.

The truth about trust issues is not because of the other person, although that is a factor, but the deeper reason for trust issues is that we are unsure of ourselves.

Relationships are constantly growing and changing in our lives. It is hard to keep up with identifying our expectations and wants/needs in our relationships.

An eye opening truth for me is that the kid who used to climb to the highest point of a tree is now fear driven. My fears and insecurities are the lenses through which I see. These fears affect my relationships on every level.

Our fears cause us to undermine and discredit the people in our lives. Conflict and Failure is the inevitable result.

I have trust issues.

They are the thorns in my side. Trust is so hard for me. I am learning that the reason I have trust issues is because I have self-perception issues. The reason I think that people are going to abuse my trust is because deep down I think I am worth the abuse.

To be honest, the more intimate a relationship gets for me the more I play defense with my heart. The more intimate a relationship the more I tend to play out the potential pain in my head. This creates tension and hurt in my relationships.

My trust issues set up failure in a lot of ways. Somewhere in me is the voice that says, “You are worth leaving. You are replaceable. You are not worth your value. You are worth hurt.”

I am not disqualifying the experiences that have contributed to these fears. I have experienced pain that makes trust hard. However, the pain does not equal the truth about me.

I am also not disqualifying that some people are not trustworthy and you have to discern that for yourself.

Most conflicts related to trust begins with our own self-perception.

This is not just our relationships with one another, how we view ourselves affects our relationship with God. I know I dismiss him often by giving the voice of my fears too much weight. It wrecks havoc.

I am so thankful for a God who is patient, gentle, and unconditionally loving. He makes all things new in me.

Risk is exposure to the chance of hurt, failure, or getting the wind knocked out of you.

BUT it can also mean experiencing a step, a move in the direction you needed, hope, vision, excitement, joy, and a YES!

I’mma bring the challenge to risk today.

What is one thing you can do to choose risk today/this weekend? This can be in any way, shape, or form.

Maybe you need to write for the person you’ve wanted to submit to. Maybe you need to say something to someone. Maybe it’s signing up for that race you’ve been thinking about. Maybe it’s choosing a new career, going back to school, or relocating!

Maybe it’s spending more time by yourself than filling your day. Maybe it’s risking to deal with your grief or sitting in the hard.

Or maybe it’s just getting out of bed today. (This is no small thing!)